HOUSTON (July 17, 2013)—As Houston has climbed the ranks toward becoming a world-class culinary city, Hardie's Fruit & Vegetable Co. has grown to meet the demand of chefs throughout the region with expanded and modernized space on Houston's historic Produce Row.
"We've more than doubled our space with the expansion," Tony Stachurski, vice president at Hardie's Houston said in a press release. "This expansion is much more than just added warehouse space. We've also brought the 61-year-old building to the cutting edge of our industry with 40,000 square feet under refrigeration."
The improvements include new energy-efficient freezer space, new door dock seals, improved security and energy-efficient T8 lighting. These measures are important in Houston's extreme heat to protect the integrity of the cold chain and maintain Hardie's high food-safety standards.
"The rich history of the Houston produce center and the heritage of the Hardie's family are a great fit for our warehouse location," Stachurski added in the press release. "Refurbishing an historic location was an experience of a lifetime."
The expansion includes 12 new refrigerated delivery trucks, added processing equipment for the cutting room and new office space.
"The expanded Hardie's Houston facility is pretty amazing," Mark Austin Hardie's division president, added in the press release. "What used to be an old railway warehouse has transformed into a state- of-the-art fresh food facility. The long, narrow building that was originally designed for loading railcars, provides a truly unique space for produce. It's proving essential in serving our growing business throughout Texas."
Hardie's, a member of the Pro-Act distribution network, is a family-owned fresh foods distributor based in Dallas but has locations in Houston, San Antonio, Austin and a cross-dock facility in McAllen. Its fleet of more than 100 trucks serves customers from the Red River to the Rio Grande Valley on a daily basis. The company is celebrating its 70th anniversary in business this year.
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